“For me, this isn’t about a gotcha game with
nursing home staff. I think especially now,
people are doing their best. They’re showing up.
They’re doing a good job,” Doroghazi said. “But
for me, cameras are really about peace of mind
for family members.”
About a dozen states already have laws or
regulations in place allowing residents and
their families to install video cameras, subject to
certain rules.
Last month, Missouri lawmakers passed
legislation allowing families to request cameras
to connect with loved ones in a nursing home.
The state’s governor is reviewing the legislation.
Camera bills have also gained new life in other
states, including Ohio and Connecticut.
Vicki Krafthefer said cameras might have helped
alleviate frustration at not being able to see
firsthand what has been happening this spring
to her 65-year-old sister, Christy Buzzard, in an
Ohio long-term care facility.
Since March, Buzzard, who suffered brain
damage as toddler, has a childlike personality
and is now partially paralyzed from a stroke,
has fallen seven times, been hospitalized for a
serious head injury and was isolated after testing
positive for COVID-19.
Through phone calls and window visits, she
also described being kicked and having her hair
pulled, allegations the facility has denied.
“If I could get a camera in her room, I could look
at it and see who’s coming in and who’s going
out. I could tell who’s the ones being mean to
her,” said Krafthefer. “The cameras are so badly
needed. I mean, if we had that, it would help